


Marker Madness

by Jaal_Ama_Darav



Category: Dead Space (Video Games)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:21:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27257092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaal_Ama_Darav/pseuds/Jaal_Ama_Darav
Summary: As the Necromorph outbreak progresses on the USG Ishimura, a man slowly loses his mind to the influence of Red Marker 3A.
Kudos: 1





	Marker Madness

**Sleep Block D of Crew Deck onboard the USG Ishimura in orbit of Aegis VII**

**2508**

**48 to 7 hours before the arrival of the USG Kellion**

The sleeping quarters of Sleep Block D were abuzz with activity. Crew members attended to their needs and tasks.

Sitting on one of the lower bunks was a Caucasian male, Anderson Abram, dressed in a blue uniform with a civilian RIG consisting of only the spinal display showing his life signs and wrist projectors for holographic screens. His black hair was messy, feet were covered in white socks with black shoes. He was hunched over, staring down on the floor with his hands on his forehead, and breaths were deep and ragged.

A nearby feminine voice was heard. "Are you all right, sir?"

Anderson looked up, elbows resting on his knees and his gray eyes on the speaker, heavy eye shadows indicated his lack of sleep.

And saw it was his bunk mate, a woman named Alexia Connelly who just signed up on the job. She was dressed in similar attire; and had red hair, earth brown skin, and piercing blue eyes.

"I don't know." Anderson sighed, resting his head in his hands. "Every time I close my eyes, I see-" He closed his eyes again. _An image of one of the hangar bays of the Ishimura,_ _and_ _sitting in a part of it was a strange alien relic,_ _r_ _ed with two swirling segmented 'tails'._ "I don't know how I'd see what the relic looks like before I had even seen what it looks like. But yet I keep thinking about it."

Alexia had a confused look that turned to one of understanding. "Had a dream of strange 'blueprints' for one of those Markers. Strange." She paused. "Not to alarm you, but before I went to bed last night, I heard you muttering in a strange language not of the Earth."

Anderson looked up at the woman. "Strange language not of the Earth? Do you think that artifact is doing something to our minds?"

Alexia paused in thought. "Not sure, but if that were the case, it would be affecting more I would believe."

The door on the far left side of the room opened and a guard in white armor inclusive of a helmet, and with a tough feminine voice walked into the room, followed by three more guards. "Everyone, I need your attention!" Her commanding presence earned the attention of all in the room. "Captain Akiko Hashimoto here. I do not wish to cause any alarm, but I must inform you that there has been rumors of strange creatures throughout the ship and people being snatched away by 'monsters'. We don't know if it is true, or if it's some sick twisted prank." She paused, letting it sink in. "I want all doors in Block D locked, and everyone in this room to stay put until we get to the bottom of this."

Anderson sighed. "You think the artifact is behind this, ma'am?"

Akiko turned her attention to him. "I would not know, I've only heard what I need to know."

Anderson looked down, hands holding his head. "Thanks for trying...it's just I and Alexia have had...strange things happening to our minds."

Alexia nodded. "He's correct. Though it appears he is having the worst of it."

Akiko hummed for a moment. "I'd take you two to the medical deck but due to the rumors, it's not safe. Once the rumors are either proven false or we deal with whatever is on this ship, I and my squad will escort you and Alexia there."

Anderson smiled. "Thank you. Don't want to go mad."

Akiko looked at him for a moment. "Understood, just try to hold it together. Heading out now." She left the room with her squad.

As the guards departed, Anderson took note of the katana strapped to Akiko's back. _Nice sword, could really do with one sometime._

Alexia looked to the others in the room. "Let's get these doors locked, make sure we don't get attacked and make sure those guards don't receive any nasty surprises from behind."

The room was a bustle of activity as doors were locked and anything that could be used as an emergency weapon was placed on the tables at the center of the room.

Anderson groaned, and pushed on his closed eyes with the palms of his hands. Images flashed across his mind, distorted images of the artifact, images of monstrous creatures he couldn't identify, and strange alien lettering. "Ugh...what's that script...and the creatures..."

Another crew member walking by heard, turning his head to look at him. "You okay?"

Anderson removed his palms from his eyes and looked straight ahead with a thousand yard stare. "I'm perfectly fine."

The crew member gave him a confused look. "Yeah, sure." And continued with the tasks at hand.

Anderson saw a flicker like a ghost of an image by the door.

And a whisper inside his head. _"Make us whole again."_

He shook his head. _What's happening to my mind?!_

* * *

Akiko stood by the door leading to the main hallway of the Crew Deck. She had her hand on the side of her helmet, pressing the comms button. "Any updates on the situation?"

There was silence, before a man's voice was heard. "I am afraid those rumors are real." Loud banging was heard over the comms and the man's voice sounded increasingly panicked. "Fortify your positions! That is an order! I repeat. Fortify your positions now!" A loud crashing sound echoed over the comms followed by gunfire and screams, distant cries of "They won't just die!" Then the same man who was talking to her screamed in terror and pain followed by gurgling then static.

Akiko winced. "Chikushō!"

One of her team members, Francis Courtenay, approached. "Captain, is everything-..."

Akiko turned to him and the others. "We need to fortify our position now. Those rumors are very real, and I am not going to find out what happens if we don't prepare."

The team stood at attention, affirmative replies of "On it!" And they immediately got to work.

Akiko reached back with her left arm and grabbed her katana hilt for a moment, reassuring herself.

It was a family heirloom, she had taken it with her to keep a piece of her family and home with her. And she would most likely need to use it. _Keep your wits about yourself. Help fortify, and shelter in place._ She placed her pulse rifle, which looked somewhat like a metal angular pile with a trigger and hand grip, on the floor and ran to help her team with the fortifications.

It wasn't long before every door including the main one were locked, objects welded and barricaded to doors not needed, leaving only the main door to the hallway to force whatever is on the ship to funnel through into a kill choke-point to make them easy pickings. And chest high barriers for cover throughout the room.

* * *

Anderson was now curled up on his bed, shivering.

Alexia looked at him with concern in her voice and face. "Anderson, do you need anything?"

Anderson mumbled. "Please...make the whispering stop. Make the hallucinations stop. Make it all stop...please...make it all stop!"

Inside his head, incessant chanting and whispering he couldn't make out buzzed. Along with "Make us whole again."

Alexia looked to the others who had heard and were staring. "Don't mind him, I'll look after him. Mental breakdown, probably space madness. We're going to the medical deck as soon as it is safe to do so."

Again that same mysterious voice in his head. _"I will grant you_ _ascension_ _to greatness. Just let yourself become one with us! They just want to keep you inferior!"_ He saw red demonic ghost images around everyone in the room. "No...no….no! They're out to get me! They're out to get me!"

Alexia sighed, hand on his shoulder. "Just hold it together."

* * *

Akiko was on one knee behind one of the barriers. Her teammates were to the left and right behind different barriers. She pressed a hand to the comms button on her helmet. "Anyone hearing me? Is there any new information?" She heard from other squads in the ship, all were wondering what was going on as well. _This is not good. No new information. Did all our superiors get slaughtered? What's_ _happening here_ _?!_

Francis looked to her from behind his barrier. "Captain. To be honest, I am getting scared over here."

Akiko looked at him. "Keep your wits. We can't lose our courage. Whatever these things are, if I have to, I'll make mincemeat out of the lot of them with my katana." _Makes sense he'd get scared. Just graduated from the academy. Everyone else on the team and I have been at it for many years._ "Just stay on guard, everyone! Let's not let those things get the drop on us, whatever they are!"

Francis nodded. "Thanks, Captain Hashimoto."

Akiko remained in position. Though as minutes turned to a half hour, an hour, then two hours, and the clock kept ticking, she shifted her position with her back against her cover but never dropped her guard. _This is no good. There is no order, no coordination._ _For all we know, these_ _things could pick people and squads off one by one without coordination..._

One of her squad members, Ivano Capello sighed. "Think those things are plotting something? What if they can think?!"

Akiko looked to her teammate by the barrier to the right of the room. "They might just be. But we can't let ourselves lose our minds to fear and-"

A loud bang against the hallway door grabbed Akiko's attention.

She spun around and faced the door, her pulse rifle readied.

Another bang.

Francis swore. "Shit! Think they found us!"

Another squad member, the other female in the group named Ethna Desmond, spoke with her voice calm but tinged with slight fear. "And it took them three hours, if they can make soldiers out of our crew and comrades..."

Francis turned to her. "Don't jinx us, please!"

Akiko saw what appeared to be a bloody blade of bone force itself between the slit of the two halves of the automatic sliding door. "Guards up, everyone! They'll be coming soon!"

The bloody bone blade shifted sideways, pushing the doors open with a horrific screech, and more blades came in to push them all the way open. And one of them apparently smashed the control panel on the other end causing the lights on the door to turn off.

Francis fired, blue plasma bolts shot from his gun and impacted the creatures. "What the hell are those things?!"

Akiko saw the gruesome things clearly in the light.

They vaguely resembled Humans but were horrifically mutated and twisted almost beyond recognition. Their bodies were twisted with open gaping wounds, decaying flesh which had fallen off in places, and talons for hands and toes. Some had arms with talons sticking out of wounds in their stomachs, and most distinctly was their horrific blade arms and faces frozen in rictuses of utter agony.

Akiko regained her senses, and fired. "Focus fire! Kill them!"

The blue plasma bolts impacted the monsters, but barely slowed them down until one lost an arm to a few bolts on target, then a leg to the same, fell and got its other arm shot off and stopped moving all together.

Akiko's keen sight saw it. _So that's how one stops them!_

One of the creatures leaped straight for Akiko, bladed arms poised to strike.

Akiko threw aside her gun, swiftly drew her katana and slashed diagonally.

The creature was slashed through the torso, its two halves falling lifelessly.

Akiko swiftly dodged the falling body, a firm grip on her katana.

The creature hit the deck with a sickening, squishing sound. It was motionless, dead for real.

Another of the monsters lunged for Francis.

Francis fell backwards onto his rear, and kept firing at the monster's torso in a panic. "No! No! No!"

The monster landed in front of the guard and stood up, its large figure loomed over him. Seemingly pushing through the repeated gunfire, it reared back a blade arm to strike.

Akiko glared, rushed forward with her katana ready to slash. "Not on my watch!" Another of the creatures blocked her path; she struck it down with her katana with a swift swing to slice its right blade arm off and in one fluid motion its left arm, leaving a gash across its torso and it fell over with Akiko losing no speed.

She leaped into the air and sliced off the blade arm of the creature poised to attack Francis before landing. Without pause, she swung again with all her might with a low sweeping frontal swing, and her katana easily cleaved through the creature's legs. She kicked the creature's now one armed, legless torso with her boot hard, sending it flying backwards and falling to the floor clear of Francis. _Removing their limbs is the key!_ She flicked the blood off her blade and pulled Francis back up to his feet.

Francis steadied his shaky breathing. "Thanks, Captain." His eyes widened. "Behi-!"

Before he could finish, Akiko spun around and one of the creatures was bearing down on her.

Once it was close enough, steps away from her, she swiftly swung her blade upwards, cutting a blade arm off near the shoulder, and swiftly downwards to sever the other arm. She kicked outward, sending the creature falling backwards. It was still and motionless. _Think we got it all figured out...cut off the limbs!_ "Focus on removing their limbs, that's how they die!" She turned to Francis. "Use the ammo from my gun. I am chopping these saitei things to bits!"

Francis ran to retrieve the ammo from her gun.

Akiko heard a snarl from behind her, and she spun around and swiftly ended yet another one of the blade arm freaks with her blade. She turned to her other squad members.

And saw them gunning down the remaining two monsters by focusing on their limbs, blasting them off, resulting in the creatures falling down dead.

She pressed a button on her helmet comms. "Anyone out there still? Cut off there limbs! I repeat. Cut off their limbs! That's how we can stop them!"

Francis approached, having received the ammo from her gun. "What do we do, ma'am. Those things hardly...they seem to not be affected by gunfire that much unless shot in the limbs and there could be a lot more of them."

_Concentrated gunfire can take_ _one down swiftly_ _. But if they're in numbers, they're trouble._ _And there's got to be more of the things_ _._ Akiko looked to the hallway. "Stand back and assist me. I will cut them down. Just make sure I don't get attacked from behind."

Growls were heard from the hallway, and Akiko could see blood streaks along the walls beyond the room. "Heads up, more of them!"

Several small creatures came running in.

Akiko could make out their horrifying forms.

They appeared to be masses of decayed tissue with a head vaguely resembling an infant with sunken dead eyes, small arms and legs, and tentacles coming from underneath. And most prominently three 'tails'.

Three ran up on the walls with one stopping at the door raising its tails.

_Ugh...like mutated fetuses._ Akiko shuddered and tensed, sword held, and saw its tails flash and on instinct dodged to the side.

Just in time, as several glowing barbs shot past her.

She heard Ivano cry out and looked back.

The man was laying down and groaning, barbs sticking through his chest armor plating.

She looked at the monsters with a glare. "Focus fire! I'll deflect their shots!"

The one standing in the doorway reared its tails again and the tails flashed again.

Akiko braced and swung her sword with all her might, flat side facing outward.

With a resounding clang, the barbs were redirected at the creature's tails, pinning them down on the deck.

Plasma fire from her remaining two squad members ended the threat quickly.

Another to the front left of Akiko reared its tails.

Akiko saw it out the corner of her eye, faced it; and swung her blade upon seeing the flash and the barbs were once again deflected into the creature's tails, pinning it.

Her teammates ended the threat quickly.

She saw another on the other side, and repeated her moves when she saw the tails readied. And her teammates finished it off.

The last one changed its position, running across the ceiling.

Akiko concentrated. "I'll deal with it!" She leaped into the air and cut off all three of its tails.

The creature fell off the ceiling and rolled across the floor before coming to a stop.

Akiko flicked the blood off her blade with a single flick of her sword. _They're pretty weak, but their barbs are dangerous._

Francis was heard, his voice full of renewed hope. "You're a badass, Captain Hashimoto! We can survive this!"

Akiko turned to him. "We can do it, but don't get too cocky."

Francis nodded. "Understood, Captain."

Clanging was heard, but from above.

Francis looked up. "Are you kidding me?! Are they in the vents?! I've had enough surprises for-!"

A loud bang and a grate being forced open on the ceiling over a fan interrupted his sentence, and more clanging was heard.

Ethna, who had been tending to Ivano and had removed his helmet exposing the man's fair skin, dark brown hair and green eyes, jumped back in time.

A creature landed on Ivano. It had wings like a bat, something vaguely resembling a torso, talons at the end of its wings, and it had some kind of proboscis and jammed it into Ivano's forehead before anyone could react.

Akiko gasped, readying her blade. "Kill it!"

Plasma fire from Ethna and Francis swiftly killed the creature, blasting it off of Ivano.

The team witnessed to their horror as Ivano begun transforming. He twitched and convulsed before blades erupted out of his back, tearing off his back armor plating and ripping up his under-suit. His face decayed rapidly and sloughed off, reveling bloody bones. He stood up and roared. He turned to the team, and charged.

"Leave it to me!" Akiko dashed forward and chopped off the blade appendages when they lashed forward to strike her, and cut down the monster with a diagonal cut to the torso. She watched the monster that used to be their comrade fall motionless. "This...they're turning our own into them...monsters...that's all they are." She tightened her grip on her katana.

Francis stared in shock and silent horror.

Ethna looked to the grate. "We need to secure the grates in the other room, otherwise-"

The rest of her words were drowned out by roars and groans coming from the hall. And clanging in the vents.

Akiko turned to Francis. "Go and help the others secure the room and lock those grates! Ethna and I will hold the line!"

Francis snapped out of his shock, nodded and dashed for the door.

Akiko turned to the door to the hall, katana readied. "Ethna, get ready! We stop them here and now!"

Ethna nodded. "With you, captain!"

* * *

Anderson sat against the wall at the side of the bunk bed, clutching his head and rocking. "Make it stop...make it stop...make it stop..."

Alexia sat at the edge of the bed, unable to do anything, and even she was starting to see things.

Loud banging was heard on the door along. "Let me in!"

Alexia jumped to her feet and ran to the door, and unlocked it.

Francis ran in and locked the door, shutting out the sound of loud roars. "Close! I imagine Akiko and Ethna are now hacking the monsters down." He looked to Alexia with a deadly serious look. "The creatures...they're real and they can get through the vents. We need to lock down every opening now!"

Alexia nodded. "Understood." She turned to the others. "Anyone capable, help us lock down this room, quick! Vents and doors first!"

Anderson looked and saw the busy activity, everyone working to make sure every way in the room was locked down. He also saw the gun on the table from the guard who had placed it.

He heard the voices in his head. _"Make us whole again_ _and we'll make you whole!_ _Give us corpses, and we'll ascend you to greatness beyond imagination!_ _We'll_ _reunite_ _you with your family!_ _"_ It gave away to humming, chanting, and whispering he couldn't identify, and everything became shifted in a red-orange haze.

Anderson groaned. _No! I won't listen! My family is alive and well!_

The voice returned, more harsh than before. _"Are you sure? Are you_ _positively_ _sure of that? The cults might have gotten them, after all...the_ _Unitologists_ _might have done them in on some colony...or perhaps Earth..._ _wherever_ _they are…_

Anderson rubbed his eyes. _Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!_

The voice was now more gentle. _Who do you have left? Are you sure they're who you think they are? Are you sure they are not whispering things behind your back? You know people with mental disorders are...looked down upon...degraded...society wants to toss them aside like trash!_

Anderson groaned. _No...no...no…is it true?! Or is it all in my head?!_

The voice returned, soothing and gentle. _Yes...all of it. Do as I asked, and I'll make you grater than any of your_ _species_ _could ever hope to make you._

_I will do it._ He stood up, everything in a red haze with marker symbols flashing, and walked in the direction of the gun and picked it up. He saw the guard and others sealing up the room.

One of his coworkers noticed him and the gun. "What are you doing?!"

Francis spun around, having heard the coworker. "Anderson, what are you doing?"

Anderson chuckled. "We need to give ourselves to the monsters, ascend to greatness."

Francis was puzzled, but he didn't lose his cool. "Calm down, we can do this without needless bloodshed. My name is Francis Courtenay. I don't want to hurt you. And I don't believe you really want to become one of those monsters. Think about it, they're just messing with your head. Just put the gun down, or give it to me, and we're good."

Anderson laughed out loud. "Don't you see? The Marker is the key to Humanity's greatness. To ascend to a greater plane of existence beyond imagination. And the monsters are the key, the Necromorphs! We need to let them in!"

Francis maintained his calm demeanor. "Anderson, calm down. I'm sorry, but you're sounding...insane. I am sure we can devise another plan that won't require letting them in." He moved towards Anderson with caution. "Just give the gun to me, please, before you do something you regret."

Anderson cackled. "Afraid I can't do that!" He pulled the trigger.

A flurry of blue plasma bolts cut down Francis, who screamed in pain and hit the deck dead still.

One of the coworkers lunged at him. "Stop it please!"

Anderson turned the gun on him and fired, gunning him down. "For the Necromorphs! For the Marker! For ascension!"

Alexia stared in horror. "Anderson, what the hell is wrong with you?! Stop this!"

Anderson turned the gun on the one who had helped him even as his mind fell apart. "Nothing...I am perfectly sane!" He fired.

The blue plasma bolts impacted Alexia, she screamed, and hit the deck, dead still. Her frozen expression one of betrayal and pain.

The others screamed and ran to the far side.

Anderson fired upon them, laughing, until no one but him moved.

The voice returned. _Puncture their skulls. Make it_ _easier_ _for the Infectors._

"Anything for you, anything!" Anderson put the gun back on the table, picked up a drill, and walked to the corpses. He drilled holes in them, and before long all had holes in their foreheads. "Now have some unfinished business..." He put the drill back on the table, picked up the gun and turned it on the locked grates and fired, destroying the locks and opened them. Then walked to the door, unlocked it, and it opened.

Beyond, Akiko, now missing her helmet exposing her light brown skin tone, blue eyes, and black hair, was hacking Necromorphs down with her katana, and the other guard was firing at them though had a few slashes through her armor.

Anderson raised the gun at the guard, and fired, gunning her down in a hail of plasma fire.

This gained Akiko's attention, who looked at the fallen guard. "Ethna!"

Anderson turned the gun on Akiko, and fired, hitting her in the back, and the ammo counter hit zero. He tossed the weapon aside.

Akiko held her sword one handed, chopped down a Necromorph, and drew her side arm with her other hand and turned around. "Anderson?!" Her expression screamed betrayal and pain, saying without words "Why?! Why did you shoot me?! I was just helping!" She screamed and looked down, a bloody bone blade was protruding from her lower torso. However, she wasn't done, her expression turned to pure rage. She aimed her sidearm and with precision shots killed a Necromorph to her left that was already mostly dead, then used her right hand to thrust the blade into the torso of another.

The Necromorph that impaled her swung its other blade arm, and chopped her gun hand off.

Akiko screamed in agony, and tried to draw her katana out of the Necromorph she impaled, but her fading strength left her blade impossible to remove.

A bat-like Necromorph flew right at her and stabbed a proboscis into her forehead.

Akiko went slack, before she was tossed to the floor, and convulsed, turning into a Slasher Necromorph.

"Glorious...so glorious." Anderson dropped his gun and sat down on his knees, arms outstretched." "Ascend me! I welcome your greatness!" He laughed and smiled in absolute bliss.

The Infector Necromorph stabbed him with the same Proboscis to his forehead, then quickly headed straight for the corpses he had prepared for them.

Anderson laughed while he transformed, twitching and convulsing. And soon his face sloughed off, the bladed appendages burst out of his back, and he was soon another Slasher Necromorph

Just another monster to the ever growing army of nightmares onboard the USG Ishimura.

**Author's Note:**

> Here's a listing of the Japanese terms and words that might not be familiar-
> 
> Chikushō – can be any of the following- Oh shit! Oh blast! Oh hell!
> 
> Saitei – can be - 'worst possible' , 'rotten' , or 'disgusting'.


End file.
